3 cabins, different perks.... suggestions?

[bookbabe]

21 hours ago, kismetique said:

The only perk I would like to extend to the other members of my party are tender tickets for our 1 tender port.  Really, the rest of it, I don't care and don't even really need for myself.  Embarkation is not an issue - I don't care when they get on as opposed to when we do.  Debarkation - we're flying on Norwegian's flights, so hopefully they see the need to get us all off quickly, least we miss our flights (I've heard NCL won't help you out in this case - but then I'm so NOT a nice person when I feel I've been wronged).  The two without a flight, live in the destination port, so no problems there.  I'm perfectly fine to pay for breakfast room service.  I do not want anything we haven't paid for, that's not fair to others and could ruin future perks and would even be willing to pay for the extra tender tickets, but I know that's not how it works.  

 

Here's my plan and I'll report after the cruise if it works.  We are celebrating 3 of the cruisers birthday's.  My 2 children were born on the same day 3 years apart and my son's wife was born 3 days prior to their birthday.  Hence, the reason I'm paying for the whole trip - birthday presents.  I plan to write a quippy little poem and politely ask if I can have extra tender tickets, but being clear that I do not expect it if they are unable to accommodate the extras.  I plan to hand the cute poem with Envelope 1 of 2 on embarkation day to each the butler and the concierge.  Perhaps knowing they will be well compensated with an additional envelope at debarkation for anything they decide to give us extra will help....maybe - maybe not.  Can't hurt to ask and I don't mind tipping - we always tip well anyway.   

Good luck.  Like I said, they said no to us having my elderly mom with a walker share in our priority boarding/tendering perks unless we had her share our cabin and sleep on the sofa, even when we were paying the solo supplement for the club balcony next to our owners suite.  And we tip well, so that didn’t even help.

[kismetique]

On 2/20/2023 at 5:21 PM, bookbabe said:

unless we had her share our cabin and sleep on the sofa, 

This is silly.  So, as long as they all sleep in our cabin we can get the perks?  I guess I could line them all up on the floor!  🤣

 

I've had really good luck in the past with giving them envelopes on the first day marked 1 of 2 with a very nice tip inside.  They know there is another envelope at the end of the cruise with likely a matching dollar figure inside.  The ONLY perk I would like for everyone is Tender Tickets.  That's it.  The rest is inconsequential to us and only that one because we are in port for such a short time in Cabo, if we spend 2 hours getting off the ship, we might as well stay on!  I'd love for everyone to be able to eat at Cagney's but I'm happy to pay to bring breakfast to the room for the extras and we only have 2 sea days and the young people will likely be in the Casino anyway.  The rest of the days we will be off the ship at Lunch, so we wouldn't partake anyway.  And I could give a flip about specialty dining.  I'm perfectly happy with the Main Dining Room myself.  My son, who hasn't cruised in years was actually looking forward to the dining - as he thought it was still at specific times with the same server.  He was actually disappointed when I told him about the new dining rules!!!!  

 

I'll report back here after our cruise and let everyone know if my plan worked or failed miserably!  It's a crap shoot at this point, I know.

[Peachypooh]

Here is my experience. A Haven 2 bedroom, a regular balcony, and a studio suite.

NCL was more than happy to let us all board together and disembark together.

Plus disembark at ports together. Our grand children were in our 2 bedroom and they

needed to be with their parents getting off at the ports.

I asked and paid $30 to have our son that was in the studio eat lunch in the Haven 

restaurant once. Butler arranged a birthday party in our suite.

Other than that the only time we "streatched  the rules" was my daughter needed a glass

of ice water for one of the kids and went into the pool area for less than a minute to

get a glass of water. My grand daughter was having an allergic reaction to a food she ate and we didn't want to wait for the butler to bring ice water for obvious reasons. I stayed with my grand daughter as I have medical training.

Edited March 4, 2023 by Peachypooh

[dexddd]

The whole suite with benefits for adjoining non-suites has evolved over time to where we are today.  Used to happen than got phased out around 7 years ago give or take.

[kismetique]

Back from the Jewel and very pleased to report my poems (or maybe it was just the greenbacks) did the trick!  

 

I got all 8 of us priority tender off the ship and the concierge allowed us all to sit as a group in the balcony for the shows.  Additionally, he made reservations for us at Cagney's for 8 one evening - although we were NOT impressed enough to even go to the second specialty dining room.

 

We ate at the Palace MDR and requested Daisy each evening.  She asked the Hostess to hold a table of 8 for us each evening.  She gave great suggestions and would bring alternate dishes - just in case!  When she saw us at the top of the stairs, she would go ahead and order our drinks.  It was like having the old style servers from days gone by.  She was wonderful - we tipped her well.

 

The Butler was less accommodating, however, we didn't really ask for anything special from him. He decorated the room for the birthdays and served breakfast in the room each morning, but would only bring just enough food for 3 (in his opinion).  We are hearty eaters and would have appreciated getting the cut fruit along with our omelet's, but I guess he decided we needed to be on a diet. He was not a very good Butler as I had to tell him each day that I wanted the same exact drinks as the day before.  I had asked that one evening dinner be served in our cabin for the birthday celebration with a cake - instead I received the cake the first night with the decorations when we returned from dinner.  He kept saying - Madame - I read your letter.  So his English was not very good and there is the problem with my poem, I suppose.  All in all, it was a great trip and we got pretty much everything we wished for.

 

It took me a whole day to get the doors unlocked between cabins and we never managed to get the balcony door unlocked....Oh well - you can't have it all!

 

Priority Embarkation was embarrassing and since my children decided not to wait on us to check in (we didn't use priority check in trying to stay with them) - they had to wait in line while we were paraded past everyone with me apologizing all along the way.  However, we didn't get priority debarkation and were met with a very rude woman trying to swim past everyone in line claiming she had paid a lot of money to be the first off the ship!  I laughed at her and said - so did I, but I'm no better than these other people and neither are you - get behind me sister!  She scoffed at me and told me there was no way I could afford such expensive cabins...so my daughter whipped out her pink/purple cabin card and the woman put her nose up in the air and said - whatever - people like me were keeping her from enjoying her cruise.  Some people!  I swear.  

[Two Wheels Only]

19 minutes ago, kismetique said:

It took me a whole day to get the doors unlocked between cabins and we never managed to get the balcony door unlocked....Oh well - you can't have it all!

 

For the balcony door, there is a child-safety lock that is higher/ separate from the main lock. Was that the problem?

[kismetique]

7 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

For the balcony door, there is a child-safety lock that is higher/ separate from the main lock. Was that the problem?

No, he would never come with the square key to open them. We sussed by the end of the cruise, we could have unlocked them ourselves with some ingenuity, but for some reason we still never did. I think the parents enjoyed the children being separated while on the balcony, not sure if they ever figured out they could go inside the room and out to the other balcony or not!!! 🤣

[Two Wheels Only]

55 minutes ago, kismetique said:

No, he would never come with the square key to open them.

 

Do you mean the partition on the balcony? Per NCL safety regulations, those aren't supposed to be opened for passenger enjoyment. 

[kismetique]

On 4/28/2023 at 11:10 PM, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Do you mean the partition on the balcony? Per NCL safety regulations, those aren't supposed to be opened for passenger enjoyment. 

Oh, I had no idea. We've always had them opened on previous cruises. It all worked out just fine. We would just peer over the railing to visit and look in each other's rooms to see if they were still asleep first thing in the morning. 😳

[Two Wheels Only]

15 minutes ago, kismetique said:

Oh, I had no idea. We've always had them opened on previous cruises. It all worked out just fine. We would just peer over the railing to visit and look in each other's rooms to see if they were still asleep first thing in the morning. 😳

 

Long story short.....

 

NCL used to allow them to be opened but gradually started to add stipulations. Sometimes, they were allowed open in port but not when out to sea. Then, certain ones were allowed to be opened while others were not. Then it was at the captain's discretion. After getting denied, some people would complain. NCL decided on a blanket policy that they should be closed for everyone and only opened for maintenance or emergency. 

 

Are there some stewards who will open them with the expectation of a tip? Yes.

Are there some guests who open them on their own "MacGyver style"? Yes.

 

Should they be opened? No. 

[kismetique]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

NCL decided on a blanket policy that they should be closed for everyone and only opened for maintenance or emergency. 

And we all know how strict they are on blanket policies!  🤣  Supposedly door decor is no longer allowed...but I had 3 birthday banners on our doors as well as I saw many others with decor.  Nothing over the top and mine weren't either - just put on with strong magnets.  But it sure helps find that cabin after 2 flights of Whiskey Sampling!

 

Thanks for the info - I'll know for next year! This was our first cruise in 15 years - (kids had said they hated doing them so we stopped) - suddenly it was their idea again!  SO MUCH has changed!